Why does God allow us to be afflicted with a thorn in the flesh? What purpose does it serve in our lives?
Having a thorn that God doesn’t just miraculously remove keeps everything in perspective. It keeps me from exalting myself. It reminds me that I always have to trust in Him. The thorn is often allowed so that God can correct the sin in our lives. In the apostle’s case, as he tells us in 2 Corinthians 12, it was to deal with the pride in Paul’s heart. The nagging existence of the thorn was a reminder that he must rely on God. It didn’t matter how smart and capable he was, he needed to remember that he couldn’t make it without God’s help. The thorn was God’s needle to burst the bubble of pride.Having a thorn that God doesn’t just miraculously remove keeps everything in perspective.
After pleading with God three times to remove the thorn, Paul tells us that he finally got the message: “My grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So, when life seems just too difficult to bear and when you can’t seem to find the quick victory over sin that you seek, remember those words. His grace is sufficient. Those words can hold you steady when life seems off-balance.
His grace is sufficient.
God will never be more real to you than when you have something in your life that you cannot fix. Never more real than when you feel weak, helpless and hopeless. In such times, His grace and His power are the only things that can pull you through.
